Meet Miss Bubbles, our young English Springer Spaniel who is eating away my time, our furniture and my wife’s leather bags. Officially known as Britt of the Southwest County, named after the dog kennel where she was born on August 1, we decided to christen her after and with our favorite drink -yes, that would be champagne- and it certainly reflects her sparkling personality. She’s also the single reason why you haven’t found any images of Brussels on this site; they will arrive in due time. Well, off I go then, scooping up some poo, my favorite pastime these days…

Even if you don’t have any knowledge of the Dutch language, I still heartily recommend buying the book “In Parijs” by Olivier van Beemen (cover depicted above). Why? I shot the cover image, portrayed the author who in daily life is correspondent in Paris and provided several images inside the book. At just €17.95 you’ll never get another chance to have an authentic Emile Gregoire in your home for less! An added boon for Dutch speaking people is that it’s highly entertaining and provides a solid background of France’s evolution in the past 7 years. Needless to say, I’m very proud of both Olivier’s terrific accomplishment and my tiny share in it. You can find more info and order a signed copy here.

As promised, though a week late, a picture many here in the Old World will have made themselves of the gently rolling slopes of Tuscany. Taken earlier it would have been more pleasing but then again: there is something to be said for sleeping in. Especially in such a nice place as Fattoria San Martino, an ecologically managed small agriturismo on the edge of sedate and wonderful Montepulciano. And that ends this commercial.

Yup, the Mack is Back. Kind of refers to the fact that my own internet connection will arrive shortly; in the meantime I’m virtually exploring the local community by illegally tapping into an unsecured wifi connection of some neighbour. The past months brought me to our new home in Brussels, a private air show by Saab in Sweden and the northern parts of Italy, amongst others. The 25 second exposure that you see above and which has been made a gazillion times before, is obviously taken in overcrowded, noisy, smelly, hot and humid, but oh so beautiful Venice. I’ll try and post an accompanying “been there, done that” image of Tuscany sometime next week…

By the time you read this, the Mac I wrote these words on is safely tucked away in a container awaiting delivery in Brussels by the end of August. That means I have something in common with the woman in the image as I’m homeless this summer. Luckily, for me that doesn’t mean sleeping on Rue de Rivoli. We’ll be spending our nights in hotels in Brussels, Sweden and Tuscany instead while this blog will be having a siesta. So here’s wishing you all a wonderful summer and see you in September!

C’est ma vie from one of the famous chansonniers, Adamo, plays on my stereo and suddenly my eyes mist over as I realize I’m finally leaving Paris. I stare at an old image I took of the Rue the Grenelle in the rain, the street I’ve lived in these past five years, and think of all the things that have happened during that period in which I’ve grown to love Paris, many of which I’ve shared with you on this blog. (read more)

Another still from the same wedding proves the title of this post. Well, at least as far as weather is concerned. And, okay, there are certain limits too. Lightning striking the photographer would be one and others that come to mind are the groom being swept away in an avalanche or the bride flying off in a hurricane. Oh, and I do hate getting wet. But for everything else: the badder, the better. As long as it isn’t too cold, that is.

It’s been a while since I shot a wedding, but last Thursday it was time again to pack some 10 kg of gear and head to Amsterdam. This shot here was taken in the beautiful garden of Museum van Loon on the Keizersgracht. It’s one of my favorites of the day. Udo & Femke, have a great honeymoon; it was a joy working with you!

While this might at first glance look like a fashion shoot, complete with props such as a derelict caravan, the harsh reality is that this 17 year old girl, recently recovered from tuberculosis, lives with her parents and two brothers in a cardboard shack just a few kilometers north of posh Paris in the hope of finding a better future here than back in Romania. You can read more about her in the summer edition of Wordt Vervolgd, the Dutch monthly of Amnesty International, in a feature on the dark side of major tourist attractions.

While you are still whistling to the tune of French chansonnier Jacques Dutronc’s hit, I present you with another installment in my «Paris s’éveille» series: it’s 05:51 and the old Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité glows in the early morning light, some 10 minutes before sunrise.